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Arthur T. Pierson's Illustrious Heritage

Dan Graves, MSL

In 1639, a non-conformist preacher named Abraham Pierson landed at
Plymouth, Massachusetts. One hundred and ninety eight years later, on this day, March 6, 1837, one of Abraham's most
illustrious descendants, Arthur T. Pierson, was born in New York City.
He was the ninth of ten children. Like his forefather Abraham, he became
a powerful preacher.

At 23, with his formal studies behind him, Arthur (A. T.) was
ordained as a Presbyterian minister. His pastorates took him from New
York to Detroit and to Philadelphia. What brought him to world attention
was his call for reinvigorating world missions. Beginning in the 1870s,
he challenged Christians to shake off their apathy and evangelize the
world in a generation. In a pamphlet written in 1881, he said the job
could be done by 1900. He followed with a book called The Crisis of
Missions, in which he reminded his readers of the vast opportunity
that lay before them. In 1891, he was in England on a mission tour. When
the famous Baptist minister Charles Spurgeon died, the Metropolitan
Tabernacle asked Pierson to fill their pulpit. For two years he did.
Ironically, he had not yet been baptized by immersion, a Baptist
requirement.

Missions were not his only interest. Altogether, A. T. wrote over
fifty books and preached over 13,000 sermons. These covered a broad
range of topics, including prophecy and his deepest concern, union with
Christ.

Writing about Romans chapters six, seven and eight, A. T. said, "One
great thought runs like a thread of gold through the whole of this
process of [Paul's] reasoning, namely: that the disciple's security for
non-continuance in sinning is found in his Union with the Lord Jesus
Christ. This, which in previous chapters is presented as the sole ground
of Justification, is now presented also as the sole basis and hope of
Sanctification: as Christ does away with the penalty for sin by His
death, so by His life He puts an end to its power over the true
believer."

A. T.'s full life included lecturing at Moody Bible Institute. He
became a Baptist in 1896. He continued to lecture on missions in
prominent evangelical colleges in England and Scotland. He also wrote a
biography of George Muller, the prayer-warrior who trusted God to feed
thousands of orphans. A. T.'s interest in missions continued, and he
helped found the mission movement known as the Student Volunteer
Movement.

When C. I. Scofield published his well-known reference Bible, he used
A.T. as a consulting editor. A.T. was also editor of Missionary
Review of the World.. He died in 1911.

Bibliography:

"A. T. Pierson." http://fbclawrence.org/pierson.htm

Douglas, J. D., editor. Who's Who in Church History.
Tyndale House.

Johnson, Todd. "A. T. Pierson and the Year 1900: A Challenge for our
Day." http://www.missionfrontiers.org/1988/08/a884.htm